


Boundary Lines

by swampslip



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Age Difference, Cuddling & Snuggling, First Time, Getting Together, Hand Jobs, Huddling For Warmth, M/M, Pre-Canon, Sharing a Bed, accidental facial, how is that not a tag cmon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:20:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28399110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swampslip/pseuds/swampslip
Summary: John lays down stiffly next to him and Arthur sighs roughly, only to feel John stiffen further, wiggle as far away as he can."... I ain't gonna bite you.""You need more room than I do.""I mean, yeah, that might be true but you ain't gotta… You can spread out a lil', that can't be comfortable.""Arthur, none of this is comfortable.""Have… Have you never shared a bed before?"John's resounding silence answers him, embarrassed and loud despite John not protesting.
Relationships: John Marston/Arthur Morgan
Comments: 7
Kudos: 130





	Boundary Lines

**Author's Note:**

> on the idea of john and arthur not being close/barely tolerating each other until john's 19/20 ish  
> also i was cold lmao

"John," Arthur mumbles into the dark, sick of listening to the younger man's shivering, "Come up here."

He sees only vague shapes shifting in the dark.

"What?" John asks in a hoarse whisper.

"On the bed, get up here."

"You said it was too small for-"

"I'd rather not get my hide tanned if Hosea finds out I let you freeze on the floor," Arthur mutters roughly and sits up, leaving an open space between himself and the cabin wall. 

John's slow, stiff, and his shoulder brushes Arthur's as the younger man climbs up, dragging his blankets with him. 

Arthur lays back down next to the younger and hisses when John's cold fingers brush his between their hips. 

"Jesus," Arthur mutters, grabbing John's hands and rubbing warmth back into them, "You shoulda said somethin'."

"You just woulda gotten mad," John mumbles, and his fingers are stiff, chilled, Arthur trying valiantly to soothe them.

"What?"

"You don't like me complainin'."

"Maybe when you bitch 'bout the food when we're lucky to have _any_ ," Arthur folds his hands over John's and squeezes, "Not you lettin' me know you're half-frozen." 

"You called the bed," John whispers, "You were already mad at me."

"I… I was annoyed, n' mostly jokin'."

John doesn't reply but his fingers flex under Arthur's. 

"You were just goin' on for hours complainin'," Arthur huffs, "I get you're in a bad mood but I don't need to hear it."

"Sorry."

"Just don't… Don't get yourself sick over pride or somethin' foolish like that."

"... Wasn't pride," John whispers, "Didn't think you'd let me."

"Share?" Arthur asks with a frown as he drops John's hands and fusses with the layers of blankets. 

"You never let me before."

"... Dutch said it wouldn't do you any good if you had me coddlin' you after every bad dream," Arthur huffs, "You had to learn to deal with 'em."

"Oh."

"What's 'oh' mean?"

"I thought… I just thought you didn't like me."

Arthur feels his face scrunch up in confusion and he makes an equally confused sound. 

"S'just you always tell me off… N' talk 'bout how I mess everythin' up… How dumb n' ugly I am."

"... I don't."

John's quiet for a moment then Arthur feels the younger shrug. 

"That's not… I'm not _only_ mean to you, and I ain't even mean, I'm not bein' serious…" Arthur shifts and nudges his knuckles against John's sternum, feeling the younger man flinch, "Did you think I was?"

John's quiet for another stretch, carefully shifting between Arthur and the wall and Arthur notices that they're only point of contact is his fingers against John's chest. 

And that the younger man must be flush to the cabin wall. 

"John?"

"I guess, yeah… S'just it's the same things over and over, why would you say 'em 'less you meant 'em?" John asks hoarsely and Arthur hears genuine hurt in the younger man's voice, "I get some of 'em, y'know, you ain't wrong 'bout 'em but just… Pointin' it out all the time."

"... Sorry," Arthur says, "Didn't realize it bothered you so much."

It's the wrong thing to say, or John takes it the wrong way, going stiff and Arthur pulls back his hand. 

"'M not a baby. S'nothin' I can't handle."

"Then why you so upset?"

"I- It-" John huffs and starts sitting up, "Jesus, this ain't worth it."

"Calm down," Arthur drawls and rolls his eyes, grabbing John around the shoulders and tugging him back down, slipping his hand behind the younger man's head to make sure he won't hit the bed frame. 

John lays down stiffly next to him and Arthur sighs roughly, only to feel John stiffen further, wiggle as far away as he can. 

"... I ain't gonna bite you."

"You need more room than I do."

"I mean, yeah, that might be true but you ain't gotta… You can spread out a lil', that can't be comfortable."

"Arthur, none of this is comfortable."

"Have… Have you never shared a bed before?"

John's resounding silence answers him, embarrassed and loud despite John not protesting.

Arthur huffs softly and nudges at John until the younger man turns on his side, facing the wall. 

John's painfully stiff as Arthur's arms wrap around him, hold him close. 

"What're you-" John whispers hoarsely, "What?"

"S'warmer," Arthur murmurs, settling down behind John, a lax parallel to John's rigid line, "Don't tell me you never been held neither."

John doesn't answer again and Arthur sighs quietly. 

John flinches minutely when the warm air rustles the hair on the back of his head. 

"Just go to sleep."

"What do I-" John bites off the question, squirms lightly, "What do I do with my arms?"

"Whatever's comfortable."

Slowly John's arms lower to lay on top of his, then shift away and cross in front of John's chest, then the younger squirms harder and turns more onto his stomach, folding his arms under his head. 

Stilling. 

"You done?" Arthur asks, sleepy and amused.

"Sorry."

"S'fine, just…" Arthur trails off and shifts a little closer, "Go to sleep."

It takes a long few minutes for John to even _start_ relaxing in Arthur's arms, slowly sinking into the bed, leaning back against the older man just a bit. 

Arthur hums and squeezes the younger man briefly, falling under much easier with John's weight and warmth in his arms.

\--

Arthur wakes up first tilting his head back to lift his mouth away from the younger man's hair, blankets tangled around their legs. 

Then looking down at John burrowed into his chest, face hidden against Arthur's collarbone. 

Little, warm puffs of air filtering through Arthur's union suit over his chest. 

Arthur shifts and hums and stretches as much as he can without disrupting John. 

Then laying his head back down, idly playing with the fabric over John's spine. 

John slowly wakes up to that gentle stroking, shivering against the older man and pressing closer. 

Then tugging back when he realizes he's hard. 

Freezing, holding Arthur at arm's length, staring at the buttons on the older man's chest. 

"... Mornin'?" Arthur whispers, "You alright?" 

John just blinks, cheeks flushing, and he slowly, silently tries to extract himself from the older man's arms. 

"Hey, woah," Arthur murmurs and pulls him back down, "No, it's too cold n' too early anyhow."

John doesn't reply, just lays stiffly in front of Arthur, trying his damnedest not to move. 

Arthur's fingers brush over his spine again and John tenses up, shoulders lifting around his neck, biting his lower lip to keep in the pathetic sound trying to slip out. 

"... John?"

"I- Uh- I didn't-" John whispers shakily, shame thick in his voice. 

"What?" Arthur frowns at him and the cabin's lighter this morning, snow bouncing the early dawn light around, "You didn't what?"

"... Feels good," John says. 

Arthur blinks at him before his expression smooths in realization, hand stilling behind John. 

"Oh… I see."

"Sorry," John murmurs, tries to sit up again, "I'll go back down to-" 

"No," Arthur says quickly and again stops John, coaxing the younger man back down, holding John's waist and shoulder lightly, "It's… It's alright."

"I didn't mean to-" 

"It's fine, John, just… Try n' go back to sleep."

John nods slowly and turns around in Arthur's arms, facing the wall again. 

Arthur's careful where his hands go when he settles behind John, arm slung over the younger man's belly. 

John doesn't relax at all and Arthur's wide awake now too but they have a good couple hours before the sun even has a chance of breaking through the clouds. 

"What did…" Arthur bites his tongue, but it's too late, half the question is already out, "What felt good?" 

"... Just bein' touched," John whispers, "You pettin' me like that."

"... Gonna hazard a guess that if you ain't been in bed with someone, then you ain't done _anythin_ ' either."

"No," John says weakly, "Nothin'."

"... It's gonna be a while 'fore we can leave, should try n' rest some more."

"Yeah."

Arthur squeezes the younger man lightly and settles back down, his hand pressing into John's upper belly. 

John's breathing slowly evens out and he relaxes back into Arthur. 

"'M not mad or anythin'," Arthur murmurs, "Just so you know."

"... Thanks?"

"Just you… You seem to think I don't like you, I don't want you thinkin' I'll… I dunno, make fun of you or somethin'." 

John swallows loudly and nods. 

"If you never been touched you're probably just real sensitive, anyone coulda gotten you hard."

John shifts and huffs quietly and he sounds like he's about to argue, offended. 

"I don't mean it like you're _easy_ … Just that," Arthur hesitates then moves his hand to John's waist and makes his touch featherlight, running his fingertips up to John's ribs and down to the younger man's bony hip. 

John shivers again and tenses. 

"Yeah, like that," Arthur mutters and starts to pull his hand back. 

"Wait," John whispers desperately.

Arthur pauses, just the barest tips of the pads of his fingers on the red cotton. 

"Keep- Keep goin'," John says shakily, "Please?"

"... You want me to-?"

"Like you just did," John curls up a bit, knees bending and knocking against the wall, "Please, Arthur?"

Arthur hesitates, hard, stares at the side of John's flushed face then repeats the movement, ghosting his fingers up and down John's side. 

John tenses even further and squirms, making a tiny, muffled sound. 

Arthur shifts his fingers forward and repeats the movement again. 

John's arms flex, crossed tight over his chest and Arthur lifts himself up on his elbow, looking down at John. 

Running his fingers up and down John's side, forward over the hard line of John's hip bone. 

John whispers a curse and reaches down, grabbing Arthur's hand and squeezing, curling up further and hiding his face. 

"Johnny?" Arthur whispers. 

"Wanna come," John whispers, "Please, 'm sorry, I wanna."

Arthur makes a strangled sound of conflict. 

Then John presses Arthur's hand towards the bulge in his union suit. 

"Jesus," Arthur says hoarsely at the hot hardness against his fingers through the fabric. 

John cringes in on himself and lets go. 

He's shown what he wants, and now it's up to Arthur. 

Arthur holds still, watching John trembling, curling up tighter with each passing second, bracing. 

Like he's gonna be hit. 

It aches in Arthur's heart but he doesn't know what to do. 

"John," Arthur says shakily, "You sure you want me to…?"

John nods roughly and presses his hand to his mouth, hair fallen over his face. 

Arthur swallows thickly and slowly shifts his hand, curling his fingers around John's cock through the fabric. 

John lets out a shuddering gasp and uncurls just a bit, lips parting as Arthur gets a feel for him. 

Then choking on a moan when Arthur squeezes, strokes up his length. 

"... Might feel better if I take you out."

"You don't gotta," John whispers quickly, "Just-" 

Cutting himself off with a whimper when Arthur slips two buttons free and reaches in, wraps his fingers around John's cock and the younger man tenses, stretching out and grabbing at Arthur's forearm as his toes curl and he shifts onto his back. 

Staring up at Arthur with wild, dark eyes, panting through parted, bitten-red lips. 

"Arthur," John whispers. 

"This alright?" Arthur asks hesitantly. 

John nods readily then his eyes close tight and his spine arches when Arthur strokes him without the fabric in the way. 

The hand around him warm and rough and he's already leaking pre-come. 

Arthur's hand twists, palm rubbing over the head and John's gut pulses, cock jerking in the older man's grip. 

"Feel good?" 

" _Yeah!"_ John whispers like Arthur's stupid for asking and it makes the older man snort, "Fuck." 

"Barely even touchin' you."

"Shut up, you know-" John starts to argue but whimpers when Arthur squeezes him again, scrambling to grip the older man's arm. 

"You gonna come?" Arthur asks quietly. 

John nods unsteadily and pants, grinding his hips up into Arthur's touch. 

"Jesus," Arthur murmurs, "Shy 'til you're all worked up, huh?" 

"Please," John whispers, voice low and gravelly and Arthur feels indulgent, stroking John firmly, increasing the speed, "God, yeah- _Arthur_ -" 

"Go 'head." 

John muffles another whine and twists on the bed, reaching down to still Arthur's hand, fucking into the older man's fist a few times. 

Then turning slightly, curling up facing Arthur as his cock jerks, pulses come over Arthur's fingers. 

His forehead pressing against Arthur's chest. 

"Fuck," John whispers, "Oh fuck."

Arthur swallows loudly and carefully untangles his hand from John's, looking down at the mess. 

"Oh god," John says shakily, "Sorry."

"... Why?" 

"I- I just-" 

"It's alright, seriously," Arthur says slowly.

John presses closer to him and half-hugs Arthur around his waist. 

"Uh… John?" Arthur looks down at the younger man and feels John trembling, "You alright?"

John nods roughly against Arthur's chest and Arthur just stares down at him. 

"Good," Arthur says hoarsely, "... That's good." 

"What can I-?" John asks, voice wavering. 

"I… I'm fine."

"Can pay you back."

"That's not- You don't gotta do anythin'," Arthur says carefully, "I'm not expectin' you to."

John nods again but he seems restless. 

"... Do _you_ want to?"

"Yeah," John says thickly. 

"Uh…" Arthur shifts and tilts more onto his back, glancing down at his hardness straining the cotton of his own union suit. 

John turns his head to look as well, leaning heavily against Arthur's side. 

"Should I just do the same?" 

"That's fine." 

John hesitates, then reaches down and rubs along the side of Arthur's cock through the fabric. 

Arthur hisses quietly then bites his lip, turning his face and pressing his clean hand to his mouth. 

John carefully slips the buttons free and wraps his cool fingers around Arthur. 

Arthur groans, low and soft, dropping his hand to the back of John’s head where it lays on his chest. 

“You’re bigger,” John mumbles, just a bit sleepy. 

“‘M older,” Arthur whispers. 

John hums quietly and curiously drags his fingertips over Arthur’s length then brings his hand to his mouth and spits into his palm. 

All he can think is do it the same as he does with himself. 

Hears Arthur inhale sharply and feels the fingers in his hair clench, gripping tightly as he smears spit down Arthur’s cock then fists the thickness of it. 

Stroking slowly. 

“John,” Arthur whispers and slides his hand down to grab John’s shoulder, needing _something_ to hold onto. 

It’s been awhile since he’s had someone else’s hand on him, and John’s not being shy at all. 

Squeezing firmly, alternating his pressure, rubbing over the head. 

“Good?”

“Mm, yeah,” Arthur’s head falls back onto his pillow and his hand restlessly moves back up to John’s nape, cupping the warm skin. 

Groaning softly under his breath, cock jerking as John’s fingers dip down and cup his balls. 

“You never done this?” Arthur asks incredulously. 

“... Just to myself.”

Arthur huffs weakly then bites back a shakier, whining noise, drawing in a thin breath and cursing as his hips tilt, rock up into the touch. 

John stills in surprise then moves his hand faster, squeezing from the base to just under the flare before loosening up and rubbing his fingers over the slick head as Arthur’s cock leaks. 

The younger squirms to sit up next to Arthur’s hip and Arthur’s forced to let him go, bringing his hand up to cover his face. 

“Close?” John whispers.

“Yeah,” Arthur says thickly, “Yeah, Johnny.”

John’s knee is digging into his thigh as John leans over and tilts his head, looking up at Arthur’s face as he kisses up the underside of the older man’s cock. 

Arthur lets out a strangled noise and his cock jerks, pulsing come in streaks. 

A few hitting John’s stunned face before the younger man jerks away, sitting up straight and staring. 

Lightly stroking Arthur through it. 

“Shit,” Arthur whispers and shakily pulls away, rolling off the bed and digging through his satchel. 

Turning around to see John kneeling on the bed, come dripping down his cheek and coating his fingers. 

Eyes wide as they’re looking up at Arthur. 

“Sorry,” Arthur says and steps up, grabbing John’s chin and roughly wiping off the younger man’s face, making John grimace as the bandana scratches the sensitive skin under his eye, “Jesus, John, I wasn’t expectin’ you to…”

“Wanted to try-” John mumbles, “Didn’t realize you were that close, wanted to get you in my mouth.”

Arthur just makes a weak sound and cleans off John’s hands and his own as best as can. 

Handing the cloth off to John and looking away as John wipes his cock clean and tucks himself away. 

John folds his legs on the bed and just watches Arthur as the older man rights himself and starts to fret. 

“... Was that alright?” John asks quietly and Arthur looks up at him from kneeling next to his satchel. 

“I- Yeah, I guess,” Arthur says roughly, “One way to stay warm.”

John huffs quietly, scratches at his jaw, dropping his gaze. 

“Scoot,” Arthur murmurs as he comes back over to the bed and John shifts back, grabbing the blankets from the foot of the bed. 

Arthur lays back down and he’s expecting John to be stiff and awkward again, maybe regretful, maybe worried. 

But John just pulls the blankets up over them and slowly lays down against Arthur, using the older man’s shoulder as a pillow. 

Arthur swallows thickly and wraps his arm behind John’s head, playing with the younger man’s hair to stop himself from worrying too much. 

“You good?” Arthur whispers. 

John nods and squirms, pressing closer, wrapping his arm over Arthur’s stomach. 

And Arthur has a low, thrumming suspicion, that this might change everything between them. 

He leans down and presses his lips lightly to John’s head after a few minutes of silence have passed. 

John makes a sleepy, pleased noise and rubs his cheek against Arthur’s chest before slowly going soft, heavy against the older man. 

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](https://providentialeyes.tumblr.com)   
>  [my twitter](https://www.twitter.com/gwennolmarie)   
>  [horny twitter](https://www.twitter.com/swampslip)


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